Posts

The Life I Found in Brazil

 Today, I was asked to spend some time with PASB’s newest international employees and share what I learned during my first year in Salvador. The intention was for me to offer useful guidance about moving to Brazil, learning Portuguese, navigating the city, adjusting to a different culture, and handling the many practical matters involved in beginning a life in another country. As I began deciding what I wanted to tell them, I did what I often do when I need to understand what I am thinking: I started writing. Writing slows me down and helps me recognize connections that are not always obvious while I am living through something. I expected to produce a collection of practical suggestions and humorous stories. Instead, I found myself trying to make sense of what has probably been the most remarkable year of my life. I certainly have plenty of stories to tell. There was the day I set out for a 15-kilometer walk around Pituaçu Park and encountered a bridge under construction about fiv...
Post a Comment
Read more

If Someday is Now, What Next?

Image
  I have been a bit lazy with my writing lately, but a major life transition has been made more real as I clean out my Michigan residence. I had a remarkable first year living and working in Brazil, and I am looking forward to returning to my life, relationships, and routines in the tropics. Currently, I am sitting in my almost-empty office in my almost-vacant house in Michigan, in the middle of a move that has become something much larger than a move. It is the clear closing of a chapter—or perhaps several chapters—and the realization that I have somehow arrived at “someday.” Over the past week, I have thrown away or donated 51 years of accumulated life. Items that once seemed important because of the memories they held have been parted with, and surprisingly, it feels freeing. My baseball glove from 1982—gone. My massive tape (yes, tape) and CD collection from the 1980s and 1990s—gone. Countless items that probably could have been sold were instead given away because, quite hones...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reflections from a Brazilian Hospital

Image
  A few nights ago, around three o’clock in the morning, I returned from an MRI and was finally able to eat and drink a little. I had barely slept in days and was still trying to understand exactly what was happening. Sitting in a hospital room in Salvador, Brazil, I found myself reflecting on how quickly life can change. What I assumed was a routine illness became something much more serious. The fever persisted, the headaches worsened, and my energy disappeared. Like many people, I convinced myself I could push through it. There was work to do, responsibilities to meet, and problems to solve. Eventually, my body made it clear that slowing down was no longer optional. Thankfully, I am now improving, and the finish line appears to be in sight. While I am still awaiting some answers, I have reached the point where I can reflect on the experience rather than simply endure it. One of the biggest surprises has been the quality of medical care I have received in Brazil. Before moving he...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rio and the Art of Belonging

Image
  There are trips we plan carefully, and then there are trips that quietly teach us something unexpected. A recent long weekend in Rio de Janeiro became the latter for me. Like many first-time visitors, I arrived captivated by the obvious wonders: the sweep of Copacabana, the view from Corcovado, the dramatic meeting of city, mountain, and sea. Rio carries a beauty that almost resists description. Yet what stayed with me most was not the scenery itself, remarkable as it was, but a growing sense of belonging. Part of that came through experiencing the city alongside someone whose presence helped me see Brazil not as a visitor, but a little more from within. Through shared conversations, introductions to family and friends, and the gift of seeing familiar places through another person’s eyes, Rio began to feel less like tourism and more like participation. That distinction has stayed with me. One evening at Maracanã, surrounded by thousands of passionate supporters wearing Flamengo c...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Visibility Paradox of Leadership

Image
  This past week, I had a conversation that stayed with me. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t confrontational. In fact, it was thoughtful, direct, and grounded in care. The kind of conversation you hope for in a professional community: honest, respectful, and intended to help, not harm. I left it feeling appreciative. One of the things I continue to learn, especially in a close and connected community, is just how much leadership extends beyond the obvious spaces. It’s not confined to meetings, classrooms, or formal communication. It exists in the unplanned interactions and the casual settings where, whether you intend it or not, people are forming impressions. That’s not a complaint. It’s part of the responsibility. But it does create a kind of tension that I don’t think we talk about enough. In education, relationships matter. Some of the most meaningful parts of my career have come from the relationships I’ve built with colleagues, people who started as coworkers and, over time, bec...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Was Bitten by a Dog and Learned a Few Things About Life

  Good morning, and happy Friday. Today started with me getting bitten by a dog. To be clear, this was entirely my fault. I might as well have dressed up my hand like a T-bone steak and presented it to a very muscular, highly committed canine. I had the good sense to leave my own 17 year old Pomeranian outside the dog park fence, because I did not want her to get bitten, but then entered the dog park myself to grab a plastic bag. This is the kind of decision making that builds character. The dog lunged. There was blood. A fair amount of it. The owner, understandably, had no idea what had happened. And for reasons I am still unpacking, I smiled, said nothing, and acted like everything was completely fine while actively bleeding. I think it was a combination of embarrassment and empathy. Embarrassment because, well, this was avoidable. Empathy because my own dog has been known to occasionally chomp on someone, and I did not feel like ruining this man’s morning with a full incident re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rethinking Screens: Finding the Right Balance for Learning and Well-Being

Image
  Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to observe learning in its many forms. There are moments of deep engagement, creativity, and collaboration that remind me why schools like ours are such special places. At the same time, I have noticed something else that has stayed with me. Students are spending a significant portion of their day on screens. It is a reality in schools across the world, and one that is often framed as a sign of progress. Technology is woven into nearly every aspect of modern life, and education has followed that trajectory. The question we now face is not whether technology belongs in schools. It clearly does. The more important question is whether we are using it in ways that truly serve learning and student well-being. As I have reflected on what I am seeing in our classrooms, and as I have spent time reviewing current research, I find myself returning to a simple but important distinction. Technology can be a powerful tool when it is use...
Post a Comment
Read more